Schwinn Meridian

I purchased this trike for my wife, who is an extremely lousy bicycle rider as she tends to wobble all over the place and is a danger to motorists. It is remarkably well-built and it is definitely not flimsy as it is solid and HEAVY - this is not a trike that you can carry up a flight of stairs, not unless you have a death wish. I am very impressed with the build quality of this trike - it is not cheaply made like so many of the other trikes out there as it has a super thick frame, quality welds, good, quality components, and a very thick paint job. It was extremely well packaged and there was no damage to the frame, although the fenders had a couple of minor dents which were easily pushed into place with my thumb. I was able to assemble it quickly and easily with the instructions, which were really well detailed. The only issue I had was getting the fenders aligned correctly over the tires; they are held in place on one side of the tire, which makes it more difficult to align. Once assembled, I took it for a test drive and was pleasantly surprised to find that the gears shifted effortlessly and correctly and I did not have to make any adjustments. I've read some reviews where folks said they had an issue with this, but I guess I lucked out in that respect. It was a very smooth ride - I have the 7-speed/26" wheel version and the tires are very thick, hence the smooth ride. It was a relatively quiet ride except for the gravel and twigs kicked up by the tires and flying around under the fenders. What I also found that was weird is that the right-hand brake handle on the handlebar controls the front brake whereas on all of my other bikes, the right-hand brake controls the rear brake. Left=Front, Right=Rear; something new to get used to. Overall, this is a really great trike that is extremely well made and with a good cover, will last a lifetime - just don't try carrying it up a flight of stairs.

I want to give the cons first. This trike was difficult to put together. It took my hubby about 4 hours (2 hour’s for two evenings after work). The instructions were not as clear as they should have been. One of the nuts/bolts was missing to attach the seat. My hubby took a quick trip to Home Depot and bought the bolt we needed. The fenders were all in tack and we didn’t have any scratches that some others were complaining about. Now on to the pros. I bought the 7 speed as we live in a city where there are a lot of hills. This bike is easy to switch gears and after some practice I have mastered most hills. If I get tired, I just stop and take a little break. 🤣 Please read or watch YouTube videos on how to ride an adult tricycle because it is not the same as a two wheeler. And again practice makes perfect. I am 5 ‘5 and I weight 165 pounds and I bought this bike to help on my weight loss journey. The seat is very comfortable and adequate for me, so I would try the seat that comes with it out first before purchasing another one. The basket on the back is very sturdy and I plan to use it when I work myself up to riding to the grocery store. I’m seeing lots a of people posting reviews with their small dogs or toddlers in the basket and the instructions advise that the basket is not to store children or pets! I bought a bell, helmet and a pouch that attaches to the handle bars to hold my cell phone, House keys and a mask in case I stop out come in contact with others due to Covid. The best part is I get soooooo many compliments on how beautiful the bike is! I’ve had a couple of friends and two neighbors that saw me riding and inquired where they can purchase one. I hope this review will help you make a decision if you were straddling fence on whether to buy this bike. It is well worth the money!

Overall, I'm very pleased with this purchase. It's really a fun bike to ride, the 7-speeds are enough to deal with inclines and yet get up to a decent speed on level ground. It's pretty sturdy and fairly comfortable "as is" with stock seat, pedals and grips. I wasn't thrilled, however, with the packaging. It arrived in a huge box with most everything just rattling around loosely inside. Torn holes in the side of the box made me fear that parts could be missing. Miraculously, though, nothing seemed to be damaged or lost due to shipping. However, the fenders were damaged before it even left the factory by the way they zip-tied them to the tires. The zip ties were pulled so tight that it crushed the fenders. I went to Schwinn's website to see if I could get replacement fenders under warranty, and saw on their site that shipping damage isn't covered under warranty if it was purchased through Amazon. I could not find an option to pursue replacement parts with Amazon through their support. It appeared that I would have had to return the entire bicycle to resolve the damage. I'm concerned about what I do if there are problems later with this bike, as to whether I actually have any warranty protections at all. That said, I am happy with the bike itself. I had assistance from my local bike shop assembling it for at a charge of one hour labor which wasn't much. I put most of it together first, but I was more comfortable with them dealing with attaching the gear/chain assemblies and adjusting the brakes properly. Basically, I paid them to "tune it" for me. I've already ridden it a couple of miles and love it! I'm already considering converting it to an "e-bike", however. I plan to pedal most of the time for the exercise, but it would REALLY be nice to have some electric assist on inclines, or to have the option to have it propel me home if I'm too tired or get leg cramps. I can definitely recommend this bike if you're looking for a quality adult tricycle, though bear in mind my concerns about shipping and the warranty. After the way it arrived and the potential problems with warranty coverage, I think I would prefer to buy from a local dealer (if there even is one!) if I were buying another.

Poor quality build. Arrived in a perfect box, no damage. The instructions aren't great but with a bit of Youtube help it went together quickly. This bike is crooked! The frame is anything but square. The picture shows how crooked it is. Just sitting on it you can feel it lean to the left. The video shows it on a level deck albeit in need of paint and you can see that it will not sit with the wheel pointing forward. It flops over to the left. Has anyone else found this? I don't know if I should get a replacement since I may end up with the same thing. I'm probably 2 to 2 1/2 hours from a Schwinn dealer. I will sleep on this tonight and decide if I want to return it or not. I HATE the thought of disassembling it and boxing it up to return. Shouldn't be my responsibility. Talked to "support" this morning. They assured me that this is not normal but I'm not going to take chances. I guess I'll disassemble it and pack it in the car, drive 10 miles to the nearest drop off point and wait for my refund. I would advise you NOT to purchase this product. Schwinn use to be a quality product but not so much anymore in my opinion.

Update: 10/7/2021 I took the advice provided by Earl Jackson III and found a local bike shop that was willing to complete the assembly and adjustment of the trike. Add $150 to the cost of the trike, but at least I know everything was done correctly. There are no noises, as other customers have reported. I am enjoying riding it after waiting so long. I’m updating my rating to three stars. This is the list of tools that Schwinn tells you you’ll need. - Phillips head screw driver (minimum four-inch shaft) - 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm and 8 mm Allen wrench - Adjustable wrench or a 9 mm, 10 mm, 14 mm, 15 mm and 17 mm open and box end wrenches - A pair of pliers with cable cutting ability - Needle nose pliers with cable cutting ability - Grease (Automotive or anti-slip copper grease) What they don’t tell you is that you’ll also need two or three torque wrenches to complete assembly to specs, or the warranty can be voided. “It is the responsibility of the individual consumer purchaser to assure that all parts included in the factory-sealed carton are properly installed, all functional parts are initially adjusted properly, and subsequent normal maintenance services and adjustments necessary to keep the bicycle in good operating condition are properly made.” (from Appendix D) Update: 9/25/2021 I took the advice of the gentleman who answered a question I posted. I've found a local bike shop willing to complete the assembly. Add another $150 to the cost of the trike. Updated: 9/3/2021 I received EXCELLENT service from US customer service and the heavy and bulky items department when I spoke with them on August 24. The answering CS person at the 888 number promptly transferred me to US support when I requested it. I received the replacement product quickly and have assembled it over the past several days. I did not have the same problem I mentioned with assembling the rear sub-frame to the main frame. However, I still have no instructions from Pacific Cycles for installing the derailleur. I installed it to the main frame according to the pictures in the manual, but it does not line up correctly with the gears and doesn't adjust with the H and L screws. I sent email to Pacific Cycle support asking for instructions on installing the derailleur. Based on my previous contact with Pacific Cycle, I expect little response., Please don't tell me to call the support number as that gets no results either. If I haven't received a useful reply by next week, I shall call the local TV station that features consumer complaints to see if they will cover the Pacific Cycle's failure to provide proper customer service. Amazon has been excellent in providing help for the return of the first tricycle. You just have to insist on speaking with US support. On assembling the rear fenders: Instruction have you install the rear tires before the fenders. Ridiculous! When you get the that point remove each wheel and support the rear on a jack stand or other support of appropriate height. Install the fenders, the replace the wheels. The seat: I do not understand the seat choice for a product that is going to appeal to older riders. I purchased a Schwinn Foam Comfort Breeze Extra Wide Bicycle Seat locally that will work much better for me (don’t see it on Amazon). I really like the tricycle and hope to resolve all existing problems with it so I can start riding. Update: 8/24/2021 I called Amazon today to return this tricycle for a replacement. I like the trike and hope the next one won't have the same problems. I am completely satisfied with Amazon's response, including returning the first trike. I'll update this review again after I received the replacement. I received an email from Schwinn customer service today, asking about the status. I still haven't received anything from Schwinn support regarding fixing the problem, which is no longer relevant. Update: 8/24/2021 I called Amazon today to return this tricycle for a replacement. I like the trike and hope the next one won't have the same problems. I am completely satisfied with Amazon's response, including returning the first trike. I'll update this review again after I received the replacement. I received an email from Schwinn customer service today, asking about the status. I still haven't received anything from Schwinn support regarding fixing the problem, which is no longer relevant. Original Review: I finally received the Schwinn Meridian 7-speed on August 17, a bit earlier than expected, which was good. The shipping box was undamaged. I unpacked the parts and assured they were complete and undamaged. The front fender had a very minor scratch on it, not a real problem. I began assembly on Wednesday, then had to stop as I had forgotten to buy grease. I resumed on Thursday and got as far “10: ATTACH THE REAR DRIVE SUB-FRAME.” The diagrams are a bit hard to read, with a lot of parts in Figure 3.2. Having the manual on my tablet and being able to enlarge the figure helped. Step 3 was a real bear, trying to get slots of the rear drive sub-frame onto the main frame. It looked to me like the piece with the slots was not properly placed on the sub-frame, making the width too narrow to slide easily onto the bolts on the main frame. I finally managed to assemble the sub-frame by partially inserting the bolts (part 1) into the main frame holes, positioning the sub-frame, working the washers and nuts (part 2) into the space between the main frame and sub-frame and finally using an open-end wrench on the nuts to work the bolts all the way through the sub-frame. This was much more difficult than it should have been and a failure in quality control. Now I had the derailleur and front chain just hanging on and no instructions for where and how to attach the derailleur! I finally gave up and called the customer service number in the manual this morning. Guess what? Customer service has no information on this issue! All instructions and videos are for the 1-speed model only. I can find no videos or information on assembling this tricycle in any web searches. Schwinn doesn’t even list the 7-speed model on its website. I’ll update this review when I either get the information or call Amazon to come get the partially assembled tricycle.

I bought this bike for work commute, cut the travel time from 45-60 minutes to 20-30 minutes I have had 2 issues so far, I had a bad crash and the rear-left wheel frame bent. The other issue was one of the chain links breaking in 2. Both times I called the customer service phone number and they supplied the new parts quite quickly after a few questions. Now the instruction manual is in need of a rewrite. I have 2 parents in "putting things together" occupations, and they both has some difficulty understanding the manual. If you are not in an occupation that you put things together, I would ask a bike shop near you for help.

Please consider getting this if you want a trike that's reliable and that you can sit back and have a relaxing cruise on, the quality is amazing, its sturdy and versatile, at least the version I got, the 7 speed gives you the option of either going on a relaxing cruise through the neighborhood or increase the speed if you want a great workout! The complaints I have about this trike are the instructions and the fenders, instructions are a little vague at some parts, they really expect you to be like a experienced engineer, I had to look online for clear unofficial instructions in how to build this beauty, and when Me and my father were done building it, we thought it was broken at first because the gear shifter was not working properly, turns out we didn't hook up the line that goes to the shifter to the gears themselves correctly, I'm glad we decided to look at the manual again because we both caught that something didn't look right. Last thing are the fenders, the fenders came in a little bent, not very much to be honest, I spotted it looking closely at them while screwing them on, can be easily fixed and bent back into shape with a hard surface and carefulness. !!And one last thing!! Get someone to help you build this, this is no one man job!! Overall, an amazing trike, even better that I got this on sale WITH monthly payments, hopefully you can get lucky too with the deal I got, but seeing the full price I would still say that this is worth it!

When the box arrived, the top was not taped or glued shut. It wasn’t damaged, and after looking inside, it looked like everything was included, so I didn’t worry too much about it. The bike itself appeared to be well packaged, and I began unwrapping the protective cardboard. The bike includes a booklet with assembly instructions, which is pretty lengthy, but well written with diagrams and instructions on every tool you’ll need along the way. I would definitely recommend having an extra set of hands when you start assembly, because there are several steps that require you to put counter pressure against the bike to bolt it together. The first thing that was missing was a single tiny nut on the basket. Nothing major, but still will require a trip to Home Depot to replace it. Second, there was a missing connector ring on the basket. Third, the left fender was inverted, which meant I needed to turn the three brackets on it around so that it could be installed. Lastly, after I had assembled the bike, I was expecting to see instructions on the installation of the main chain and derailleur because it wasn’t attached to the bike. After some investigating, I realized that not only had the chain itself not been routed through the cassette correctly, but the derailleur had either never been connected to the frame or fallen off during shipping. The chain doesn’t have a quick release link, so I had to take the bike apart and reassemble so that I could route the chain correctly through the cassette. It took about 4 hours to assemble.

This review is technical and rather lengthy. For a concise review, skip to [The Bottom Line...] Amazon advertised this Schwinn Meridian 7 Speed tricycle with an irresistible price when I searched for tricycles. The intention of buying this tricycle was for a rider with balancing issue. The red theme might not be everyone's favourite. However, the intended rider feels this colour is best to be seen in traffic ~ a safety feature. Schwinn has styled the Meridian as a "Retro" hence many components equipped were "a couple of eras behind". For example, instead of the current trend's thread-less fork, stem and headset, the Meridian is equipped with a quill stem and threaded fork and headset. The bottom bracket is a "cup and cone" type instead of a cartridge. They will do the job but they do need some attention on adjustments. ~~~ Below is a collection of my observations while putting the tricycle together and later the test ride: [Parts] Most parts arrived safely. There were minor dents and scratches on the two rear fenders. They're minor enough with nothing to scream about. [Assembly] Despite of watching "How to Assemble a Meridian Tricycle" video on Schwinn's own website, it is still difficult to assemble and much fine tuning is required. An average consumer might be able to assemble this tricycle with some degree of struggle. However, much more tools then the instructions indicate are needed to have this tricycle functioning properly. [Fine tuning] All the bearings are NOT adjusted. They are all TOO TIGHT as shipped. The bearings at the headset, bottom bracket, front & rear hubs, and the rear drive axle all need to be adjusted with proper tools (like cone wrenches, headset wrenches, and bottom bracket hook wrench). The derailleur mounting is tricky and require proper adjustments to clear the largest cog of the freewheel. Shifting range and cable adjustments are also required to have the gear shifting working properly. Many reviews on the internet have commented on the possibility of a bent rear axle. The one I received does have a minor bent. The instruction video on Schwinn's web site is questionable and being overly generalized for all models of their tricycles. There is no specific instructions for the 7 speed model. Best to have a professional bicycle mechanic fine tune this tricycle after assembly. [Test Ride] Most rider will think a tricycle would be more stable. However, this 7 speed Meridian has the tendency to power steers itself into the direction of steer. It is a very undesirable characteristic. Recalling from my childhood days, tricycles don't steer on its own. I inspected more closely and found the steering problem explained below in [QI 1] & [QI 2]. Although the Meridian is a supposedly a relaxed, up-right posture, leg slightly forward ride, the faraway handlebar disrupts this characteristic and causes the rider to reach forward. Once forward, the weight distribution is too far upfront. Part of the instability is due to this fact. - - - Questionable Implementations: - - - [QI 1] - Frame Geometry The effective top-tube length on this cruiser like step over frame is long. The saddle and seat tube are set back like a cruiser. However, the handlebar is too far away for a relaxed reach. [QI 2] - Steering Components The steering is UNSTABLE. This could be caused the combination of the head tube angle, rake, trail, handlebar, stem and tire profile. The stem is short. The handlebar is narrow and far in reach (for this tricycle). With its 30+ degrees of back sweep, it literally cancels all the effective stem extension. What that means is that the hands of the rider are literally turning the handlebar with no stem extension making the steering overly sensitive. The front tire's super fat round profile makes things worse by having gravity swaying the steer with its roundness. What this translates to, is that if the front end is not steered straight, any slight steering will force pull the steering towards that direction. It's a shock to any rider with this uncalled-for "power assisted steering" while riding. [QI 3] - Out of True Wheels All three wheels were found to be out-of-true. With my sample, the worst is the drive wheel. Next, it's the front. Then last is the idle wheel. They appear a bit warped. However, they are true-able. [QI 4] - Ineffective Rear Brake The rear band-brake does nothing when pulled. It feels firm to the pull and mushy at the end. It does not slow nor stop the tricycle. No matter how it is adjusted, this rear band-brake has yet to show any effectiveness. [QI 5] - Weak Saddle Clamp The clamp that holds the saddle to the post is inadequate. The saddle is way too large in proportion. Hence the clamp won't keep the saddle in place when a twisting force, like getting off the tricycle, is applied. It takes more than the usual torque on the saddle clamp bolt to keep the saddle from twisting. It is better to replace it with a unified seat post with an integrated saddle clamp. [QI 6] - Inappropriate Tire Size Besides what was mentioned in [QI 2], the 26" x 2.3" semi-slick tires are too wide and keep rubbing fender supporting beams in the rear. These tires weigh ~1.23 Kg (~2.7 lbs) each. [QI 7] - Too Heavy a basket. The basket alone weighs 5 Kg (11 lbs). [In the End...] To counter its shortcomings, I had already adjusted all bearings, trued the wheels, straightened the axle, changed the handlebar, stem, tires, seat post and rear brake to make this tricycle a far better ride with stable steering and functional rear braking. This tricycle, fully assembled weighs (as reported) 33.5-35 Kg (74-77 lbs). It make sense to reduce some weight. By replacing the equipped tires with 26" x 1.75" tires, the total weight is reduced by ~1.8 Kg (~4 lbs). Replacing the steel basket with a suitable substitute plastic basket takes off another 4 Kg (8.8 lbs). [The Bottom Line...] As is, this tricycle is not good for recommendation to the average consumer. This tricycle can be assembled by the average consumer but must be fine tuned by a professional. It has unstable steering due to poor choices of components to go with its geometry. It also requires specialized tools for fine tuning. However, this tricycle can become a great ride by replacing the components in question with ones that have appropriate parameters suitable for the frame's geometry. That could be an enjoyable project for some DIY enthusiasts.

Came disassembled, but building it was quite straightforward. Only real gripe I had was that one of the rear rims was wonky and had to be trued at a bike shop, who had to order some special tool because the back tires don’t have an axle attached to them as they bolt on to the trike’s main axle. Having 7 speeds really helps to get going as it is quite heavy.

En primer lugar, pido disculpas por mi español. Estoy aprendiendo. Es una bici bastante buena. Hay algunos problemas con él, la mayoría en su mayoría muy menor. Sin embargo, hubo algunos problemas al recibirla, y muchos problemas al armarla. Recientemente me mudé a México, y sabía que no iba a tener un coche por un tiempo, así que quería conseguir una bicicleta que podría utilizar para ir de compras y moverse por la ciudad con. Sabía que iba a tardar un mes en llegar, así que la pedí con antelación. Apareció casi exactamente un mes después. Cuando llegó, las instrucciones de montaje eran muy confusas. Hice una parte del proceso y tuve que parar porque parecía que me habían enviado una rueda que no estaba completa. Después de investigar más, descubrí que tenía todas las piezas correctas, pero que habían empaquetado las ruedas incorrectamente. Así que empecé a montarla de nuevo. Una vez que terminé de montarla casi por completo, descubrí que habían instalado la cadena alrededor del cuadro de la bicicleta, por lo que no podía utilizarla. Me puse en contacto con su soporte y me dijeron que iba a tener que contratar a alguien para repararla. Se ofrecieron a pagar la reparación pero exigían un recibo que como muchos de ustedes saben, aquí en México no siempre se recibe un recibo. En este caso no lo recibí así que no me lo reembolsaron. Tardaron una semana completa en armar y reparar esta moto. No tenía transporte así que tuve que pagar viajes para moverme por la ciudad. Schwinn se negó a reembolsarme ninguno de esos gastos. También hubo otros problemas durante el proceso de fabricación. Había varios cortes y rasguños en el cuadro, y tuve que arreglar el freno trasero porque estaba demasiado suelto. No recomendaría esta bicicleta porque no es de muy buena calidad para la cantidad de dinero que tienes que gastar en ella.

Assembling this tricycle is a nightmare; I do not recommend mounting it alone to anyone who does not have sharp mechanical skills and lots of tools. Furthermore mine came, inexplicably, with the primary chain all entangled; I had to call a bike mechanic to open it and install it. Once mounted, it is a great tricycle. The seven speeds are a plus, as it is a heavy bike and you need to use them on the slightest slopes. Brakes are very good, it has even a parking brake, Ridding a tricycle for the first time is kind of weird as you ten to lean into the turn, as in bicycles, and you should do just the OPPOSITE, to prevent the outside wheel to lift from the ground on a sharp turn. The finnish of the Schwinn is very high quality, this bike is very sturdy and shall last forever. If you are willing to pay for a bike mechanic to assemble it, I highly recommend the purchase of this Schwinn Meridian 7 trycicle, specially for older guys like myself. It is a great exercise!

I got this because I can’t seem to ride on two wheels anymore. I am still getting used to it, but find it nimble and the high gear can deliver some speed. Next to a recumbent this is very nice.